Digraphs vs Blends

As children begin their journey to becoming fluent readers, they encounter various challenges in decoding words. Two key concepts in phonics that help young learners navigate the complexities of the English language are digraphs and blends. While both involve multiple letters coming together to represent sounds, they function differently in the process of reading and spelling.

In this article, we will explore the differences between digraphs and blends, provide examples of each, and discuss how they are taught in early literacy instruction.

Table of Contents

What Are Digraphs?

A digraph is a combination of two letters that together represent one sound (phoneme). Unlike blends, where each letter retains its own sound, in a digraph, the letters work together to form a single, unique sound.

Examples of Common Digraphs:

“sh” – as in ship, shut, fish (represents the /ʃ/ sound)
“ch” – as in chip, chop, lunch (represents the /tʃ/ sound)
“th” – as in this, that, math (can represent the /θ/ sound, as in thin, or the /ð/ sound, as in this)

“ph” – as in phone, graph, phantom (represents the /f/ sound)
“wh” – as in what, when, whale (represents the /w/ sound)
“ck” – as in back, duck, clock (represents the /k/ sound)

Types of Digraphs:

Digraphs can occur with both consonants and vowels:

Consonant Digraphs: These are combinations of two consonants that make a single sound, such as sh, ch, th, and ph.
Vowel Digraphs: These are combinations of two vowels that make a single sound, such as:

“ai” – as in rain, mail, pain (represents the long /ā/ sound)
“oa” – as in boat, coat, road (represents the long /ō/ sound)
“ee” – as in tree, see, feet (represents the long /ē/ sound)

What Are Blends?

A blend, also known as a consonant blend, involves two or more consonants that are clustered together, where each consonant retains its own sound. Unlike a digraph, where two letters combine to make one sound, a blend allows each letter to keep its distinct pronunciation, though the sounds are closely connected within the word.

Examples of Common Blends:

“bl” – as in blue, black, blow (the /b/ and /l/ sounds are both pronounced)
“st” – as in stop, star, best (the /s/ and /t/ sounds are both pronounced)

“gr” – as in green, grape, grow (the /g/ and /r/ sounds are both pronounced)
“fl” – as in flag, flip, flower (the /f/ and /l/ sounds are both pronounced)
“sp” – as in spot, spin, speak (the /s/ and /p/ sounds are both pronounced)

“tr” – as in tree, train, trip (the /t/ and /r/ sounds are both pronounced)

Types of Blends:

Blends typically occur at the beginning or end of words, and they can involve two or more consonants:

Initial Blends: These occur at the beginning of words. Examples include bl in blue, st in star, and tr in tree.

Final Blends: These occur at the end of words. Examples include nd in sand, mp in lamp, and st in fast.

Some blends can involve three consonants, known as three-letter blends:

“str” – as in street, strong, strip

“spl” – as in split, splash, spline

Key Differences Between Digraphs and Blends

1. Number of Sounds

Digraphs: Two letters that make one sound. For example, in the word ship, the “sh” is a digraph that represents the single /ʃ/ sound.
Blends: Two or more letters that make multiple sounds. For example, in the word stop, the “st” is a blend where both the /s/ and /t/ sounds are heard.

2. Letter Combinations

Digraphs: The two letters in a digraph work together to create a single sound. This means that the sound is not a combination of the individual letter sounds but a completely new sound.
Blends: In a blend, the individual sounds of the letters are retained, even though they are spoken closely together.

3. Phonemic Importance

Digraphs: Digraphs are important because they teach students that sometimes two letters together make a new, unique sound that is different from their individual sounds.

Blends: Blends reinforce the idea that consonants can be combined in clusters, but each retains its own sound, helping students understand more complex word structures.

4. Spelling and Decoding

Digraphs: When learning to spell or read words with digraphs, students must memorize the specific sound that the digraph makes, as it may not be intuitive from the individual letters.
Blends: When decoding blends, students can sound out each letter individually, making it easier to guess the word using phonics knowledge.

Teaching Digraphs and Blends

Teaching Digraphs

When teaching digraphs, it’s important to help children recognize that two letters can work together to represent a single sound. Here are some strategies for teaching digraphs:

Visuals and Flashcards: Use flashcards to introduce digraphs with corresponding images. For example, show the digraph “sh” with a picture of a ship.
Digraph Hunts: Have children search for digraphs in books or around the classroom. Ask them to find words that contain “ch,” “sh,” or “th” and write them down.

Sound Sorting: Create a sorting activity where students categorize words based on their digraphs. For example, they can sort pictures or words into “sh” (e.g., shoe) and “ch” (e.g., chair) groups.
Songs and Rhymes: Use songs or rhymes that emphasize the sounds of digraphs. For example, sing songs that repeat “sh” words, like ship, shut, shop.

Teaching Blends

When teaching blends, focus on helping children blend the sounds together while still recognizing each individual sound. Here are some strategies for teaching blends:

Blending Practice: Use flashcards or phonics worksheets that feature blends at the beginning or end of words. Have children practice blending each sound together to form the word (e.g., bl in blue or st in stop).
Moveable Letters: Use magnetic or moveable letters to help children create words with blends. For example, they can use the letters “s,” “t,” and “n” to form the word stun.
Blends Bingo: Play a game of bingo where the bingo cards have blends, such as bl, fl, sp, gr, etc. Call out words like flag, spot, or green, and have children mark the appropriate blend on their card.

Sound It Out: Practice saying the individual sounds in blends slowly, and then speed up to show how the sounds come together. For example, say “/s/ /p/ /o/ /t/” slowly, and then blend it to say spot.

Examples of Words with Digraphs and Blends

Here is a table that illustrates the differences between digraphs and blends with example words:

Digraph	Example Words	Blend	Example Words
sh	ship, shop, fish	bl	blue, black
ch	chip, church, much	st	stop, star
th	this, thin, bath	gr	green, grape
ph	phone, graph	fl	flag, flip
wh	what, when, whale	sp	spot, spin
ck	back, duck, sock	tr	tree, train

Conclusion

Understanding the distinction between digraphs and blends is crucial in early phonics instruction. While digraphs involve two letters that make a single sound, blends consist of two or more consonants where each retains its individual sound. Both are essential for building strong decoding and spelling skills in young readers.

By systematically teaching these concepts through engaging activities, educators can help children develop the phonics skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. Whether through blending practices, sound hunts, or phonics games, incorporating digraphs and blends into early literacy instruction will provide students with the tools to tackle more complex words and texts as they advance in their reading journey.